About Higher Education

About Higher Education

Every year, more than 500,000 students from all over the world come to the United States to get a high-quality higher education. America, like no other country, is famous for famous universities. Their graduates have excellent career prospects. If you want to learn more about higher education in the USA, read this article.

US Higher Education System

The USA is one of the world leaders in higher education. Applicants from different countries are striving to master the specialties here, and they are most in demand in the global labor market. The main directions for which American universities are famous are various business professions and technologies.

There are over 4,000 institutions of higher education in the United States. Despite the fact that they are also known as “college”, the difference between the types of institutions still exists. As a rule, college is a small educational institution aimed at academic training. Universities are more prone to research work. By the way, they have all conditions for that: the technical equipment of US universities keeps pace with the latest technologies. Also, colleges are educational institutions that are part of large universities.

Colleges issue bachelor’s degrees – studies last 4 years. Universities can offer undergraduate degree programs (4 years), master’s programs (2 years), as well as a PhD degree (doctorate, lasts 5-7 years).

All universities are divided into private and public. The former are distinguished by their small size, the highest standards of education, and not a small price of tuition — in addition to sponsorship donations, tuition fees are one of the main sources of income for private universities. State universities are funded by the state in which they are located. The cost of the school year is much lower than in private. In addition, training for citizens of this state is cheaper than for other Americans and foreign students. As a rule, state universities are large educational institutions: one of the disadvantages is a large number of students in the class. However, there are state universities with outstanding academic performance.

American University Ranking

Below you can see the top 10 US universities 2017-2018, according to the QS World University Rankings.

  1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
  2. Stanford University
  3. Harvard University
  4. California Institute of Technology
  5. University of Chicago
  6. Princeton University
  7. Cornell University
  8. Yale University
  9. Columbia University
  10. University of Pennsylvania

Most of these universities are widely known. Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford are the most famous and most prestigious educational institutions in the USA, but it’s almost impossible to enroll in them – the competition is too big. But, in addition to these famous universities, in America, there are many less famous educational institutions that provide a solid, good-quality education.

Tuition fees

The cost of higher education in the United States varies greatly and depends not only on the choice of the institution but also on the specific faculty. On average, the price of a year of study at the bachelor’s program starts from $30,000.

The cost of living can also be different: living in a dormitory at a university is usually cheaper than renting an apartment. However, if you rent housing for 3-4 students – it may be more profitable to live on campus.

Scholarship programs will help you save on your studies: they are widespread in the US. They encourage students with excellent academic performance as well as students showing outstanding performance in sports or the arts.

Study at the University

The diploma course, after which students receive a bachelor’s degree, lasts an average of 4 years. During this time, you need to have time to master about 30 subjects, each of which is taught during the semester. Specialization begins from the third course – an in-depth study of a number of subjects directly related to the future profession.

Thanks to the opportunity for students to “independently” choose courses, the American educational system allows preparing the rarest and exotic specialists. This is perfect for those who want to deepen their knowledge in any field and get a second degree in the United States. Also, foreign students can continue postgraduate education in America: taking a doctoral degree in the United States takes 5-7 years.

Business training in no less popular, although higher in cost, second higher education in the United States. The first business school in the world – Tuck’s School of Business – was founded here, and today about 60% of the world’s leading business schools are located in the country. A prestigious business education, for example, an MBA diploma, is usually a guarantee of a successful career, which, by the way, can be said about other types of higher education in America. The main thing is to choose the right university where you will study.

Category: General Issues

Tags: education, higher education